Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 26: Rāmacandra Destroys Dūṣaṇa and his Followers
Text 3.26.18
दृष्ट्वैवापततस्तूर्णं राघवः सायकैः शितैः।
तीक्ष्णाग्रैः प्रतिजग्राह संप्राप्तानतिथीनिव॥
dṛṣṭvaivāpatatas tūrṇaṁ rāghavaḥ sāyakaiḥ śitaiḥ
tīkṣṇāgraiḥ pratijagrāha samprāptān atithīn iva
dṛṣṭvā eva = as soon as saw; āpatataḥ = them rushing [towards Him]; tūrṇam = quickly; rāghavaḥ = Rāghava; sāyakaiḥ = arrows; śitaiḥ = and polished; tīkṣṇa-agraiḥ = with sharp-edged; pratijagrāha = He welcomed [them]; samprāptān = who had [just] arrived; atithīn = [these rākṣasas were] His guests; iva = as if.
As soon as Rāghava saw them rushing [towards Him], He quickly welcomed [them] with sharp-edged and polished arrows as if [these rākṣasas were] His guests who had [just] arrived.1
Just as one welcomes guests who have arrived at his residence with offerings [of respect], Rāma welcomed [these rākṣasas] with His arrows.1
The author elaborates on this as follows.